1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to apparatus for producing frozen confections and more particularly concerns an apparatus for extracting frozen stick confections from an apparatus for producing such confections and for transferring the extracted confections to further apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For many years, systems for producing frozen confections have utilized a confection freezing apparatus that generally includes mold members having mold cups arranged therein in rows which extend transversely of the direction of travel of the cups. Confection material is deposited into the cups of each row by a filler at one point along the path of travel of the mold cups, and after the confection material has partially frozen, sticks are inserted therein. After the confection material has completely frozen, an extractor-conveyor is provided for removing the confections by grasping the sticks and pulling the frozen confections upwardly from the mold cups and for thereafter transferring the extracted confections to a wrapper. To enable the hard frozen confections to be removed from the mold cups, heat is applied to the outer surfaces of the mold cups to thaw the outer layer of confection material in contact with the cups. An example of a prior art system for producing frozen stick confections and an extractor-conveyor apparatus is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,978 to M. B. Rasmusson. Similar examples of prior art frozen confection producing apparatus are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,791,890 to O. G. Hoeyer, 3,261,178 to Katsuto Okada and 3,695,895 to J. S. Brown. This latter patent particularly discloses extraction apparatus that includes spray devices for thawing or defrosting the confection material to enable the frozen confections to be separated from the mold cups.
In all of the known prior art frozen confection producing apparatus, the mold cups are arranged with their widest (major) cross-sectional dimensions extending transversely of their direction of travel with the mold conveyor. Flat wooden sticks are inserted into the confection material with their wide faces extending parallel to the wide dimensions of the cups. The prior art extractors and extractor-conveyors have been adapted to such orientations of the sticks and confections within the mold cups, and the apparatus for packaging or wrapping the frozen confections have also been adapted to such orentations.
Recently a new type of apparatus for producing frozen confections has been developed wherein the widest cross-sectional dimensions of the mold cups extend parallel to their direction of travel. Also, in such recently developed apparatus, the spacing between the mold cups is such that the sticks extending therefrom are substantially closer to each other than in the prior art devices. Such recently developed confection producing apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,324,108 and 4,330,245, to R. J. Billett and which are assigned to the assignee of the present application. Due to the different orientations and spacings of the mold cups in the mold members of such new confection apparatus, the extractor-conveyor of the present invention has been developed.